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In using the em-dash, where do you put the spaces? Which of the following is correct?
One space before:
School is based on the three R’s —reading, writing, and ’rithemtic.
One space after:
School is based on the three R’s— reading, writing, and ’rithemtic.
Spaces on both sides:
School is based on the three R’s — reading, writing, and ’rithemtic.
If we can trust Grammar Girl's thoroughness of search, then her advice is sound:
Every style guide I checked, except the AP Stylebook, stated there should be no spaces between an em-dash and the adjacent words. That means it is a style choice. If you're writing for a newspaper, magazine, or website that uses Associated Press style, put in the spaces. Otherwise, leave them out.
So:
School is based on the three R’s—reading, writing, and ’rithemtic.
That said, em dashes are often substituted with en dashes in British English, and these are spaced when used parenthetically:
School is based on the three R’s – reading, writing, and ’rithemtic
(Also, some British English guides are more or less strict about the use of the serial comma – the above sentence may be seen as: "[...] reading, writing and ’rithemtic").
—. But this doesn't display in comments.
Mar 2, 2014 at 14:38
—, –, − and an ordinary hyphen. In this face (Georgia) I see no difference between – and −, but the others are distinct. The em- and en-dashes are not so distinct as I would like, but that's a problem with the face.
Mar 2, 2014 at 15:05
These two are correct:
School is based on the three R’s — reading, writing, and ’rithemtic. (Space on each side.)
School is based on the three R’s—reading, writing, and ’rithemtic. (Or: no spaces.)
I agree with the answers that—
But going by the way how a text, when typed in a word file, goes to the next line, I would argue that there should be no space around the em-dash. Just suppose, how a text would look like when the text goes to the next line after we put a space before or after an em-dash:
xxx xxxxx xxxx x xxxxx xxxx xxx xxx xxx xxxx xxx xxx xxx xxx. School is based on the three R’s — reading, writing, and ’rithemtic.
In the example above, "R's" and the three items ("reading, writing, and ’rithemtic") that elucidate "R's" constitute a single unit. In the example above, because of the space, the unit breaks and the readability is impaired when "R's" remains in the preceding line and the three items go to the next line. Worse still, the second line in the example starts with no word but a punctuation mark, em-dash. In fact, in the example above, the spaces around "R's" result in a utter disconnect between the two parts of the unit and take away continuity of the reading.
None of the above problems will, however, come, if the spaces around the em-dash are removed.
